Friday, June 9, 2017

Associated Press
Published: June 8,2017
Storms
that swept into Cape Town, South Africa have killed at least nine
people and unleashed winds that fanned fires, forcing evacuations of
about 10,000, authorities say.
Local media reported Thursday that
the military plans to help emergency responders in Knysna, which lies on
the Garden Route, a popular tourist destination on the southern coast
of South Africa.
Strong winds from a storm that hit the coast
Wednesday fanned multiple blazes, which destroyed dozens of homes and
also damaged an evacuated hospital and a school.
Four of the
deaths occurred in a fire caused by lightning, and one other person died
when a home collapsed, local media reported. Three others died in a
separate fire.
Clinton Manuel, Knysna's fire chief, said his teams were struggling to contain numerous fires.(MORE: Thousands Flee from Flooding in Uruguay)
"This
wind is blowing very, very strong, causing the fire to spread extremely
rapidly," Manuel said, according to the African News Agency.
The town mayor, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, described the fires as the worst in decades.
Cape
Town workers said they had taken measures to protect some poor
residents, who live in sprawling neighborhoods of makeshift homes.
However, hundreds of homes were flooded or damaged, authorities said.
The
storm forced President Jacob Zuma, who was in Cape Town, to cancel a
speech to an international media conference in Durban, a city on the
Indian Ocean coastline, his office said. He was due to address an annual
congress organized by the World Association of Newspapers and News
Publishers.
The South African military said it had placed a
helicopter on standby to help with any emergency evacuations in Western
Cape province, which includes Cape Town.
While the storm provided
some drought relief, officials said sustained rainfall over several
years is needed in a city whose reservoirs are at low levels.
Cape
Town recently announced restrictions on water use. On Wednesday,
authorities urged residents to capture rain from the storm in containers
for flushing toilets and other needs.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report
on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science
to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of
our parent company, IBM.